


Secret Admirer

by everystareverywhere



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, High School, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-11-01
Packaged: 2018-02-22 14:47:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2511527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everystareverywhere/pseuds/everystareverywhere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose makes a mistake</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a simple drabble, just 'cause

It was a complete mistake. Something that was never suppose to happen. But it did, and now Rose Tyler had to pay the consequences.

It started out all innocent, though. Just Rose and her friends, Shareen, Martha, and Clara, enjoying each other’s company and sneaking the little bit of liquor Rose was brave enough to get out without her mother knowing. Then Clara recommended Truth or Dare (and _that_ Rose later believed, was where the trouble really started) and everyone laughed and said “Sure, let’s do this!” After Clara had to walk down the hallway with no shirt on, and Martha admitted blushingly that she had a crush on Tom Milligan, and Shareen admitted that she did in fact cheat on the last test they all took (the one she got a 95 on) was it finally Rose’s turn.

Rose, who was the type of girl who would rather do something humiliating than say it, confidently requested, “Dare.” Martha grinned before piping up, “Write a love letter to Jack Harkness and put it in his locker tomorrow!”

Rose quickly agreed and wrote a short sweet letter to Jack before placing it in an envelope and putting it in her school bag. However, later that night when everyone else was asleep, Rose got up and wrote another letter, simply stating how much she liked his beautiful smile and his gorgeous bum. It wasn’t hard to write the letter to him; Rose did fancy him and he was the most magnificent thing to come out of the states.

Unlike the last letter, though she did not sign her name, instead leaving it anonymous. Some things she was willing to do, but signing her name? Even Rose Tyler was not that brave. 

The next morning, all four girls giggled as they walked down the empty hallway. First period had already started, but they all have a study break and insisted this was the best time to do it. Rose asked them if anyone knew which one was Jack’s and Clara answered “510.” With no one but the four of them around, Rose slipped the letter in the crack of the locker and walked away, grinning devilishly to herself.

However, it wasn’t until later that she realized her mistake. And like all huge mistakes, there was nothing she could do about it now. She watched in horror when John Noble, _not_ Jack Harkness, went to locker 510 and opened it up. She could barely see through the cracks of her fingers as he bent down to pick up the envelope and stare quizzically at it. By then she had seen enough and ran down the stairs, groaning the entire way.

John Noble?! The most hated man in the entire school. He was rude, arrogant, self-centered, and conceded. No one could _stand_ John, let alone write anonymous love letter to him. Rose groaned again when she realized that she didn’t even address it to Jack, so it could very well have been for John. At least, that’s how he would view it. 

It wasn’t until lunch period that Martha told Rose’s John’s reaction. “It was so weird, Rose. He smiled. John Noble actually _smiled_ when he read your letter. For once in his life, I think he was actually _happy._ ”

“John? Happy? _Does not compute_ ,” Rose said, imitating a robot. “He was probably just thinking of ways to murder the person who wrote that.”

“I don’t think so, Rose. I think he actually _liked_ it.”

The next day, Rose watched John as he opened his locker and was surprised by how…disappointed he looked. Reaching up high, he felt around on the top of his books, but when he found them empty…

Something happened to Rose at that moment. Maybe what she did was a mistake, but it was a mistake that made someone happy. With that mind, Rose went towards her next class, already preparing another note to write to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because so many people liked the first part of the story, I decided to write a sequel. I honestly have no idea how long this will be, so bare with me.

John Noble sat down at the cafeteria table with a tray filled with horrible food and a huge grin.

“What’s made you all smiley?” Donna Noble, his cousin, asked, barely looking up from her chicken noodle soup.

John took out a piece of paper from his pocket. “I got another one.”

Donna reached out her hand, silently asking to look at it. She opened it up and read out loud, “ _Roses are red, violets are blue, you’ve got cute dimples, and great hair too_.” She looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Not exactly Shakespeare, is it?" 

“Well, no, but I’ve got a secret admirer!” He almost jumped in his seat. “Me! Who knew?” 

When John opened his locker only a day earlier and saw the note, he was sure it was a prank. Who would send John Noble a secret letter? It made no sense. Except for Donna, John never spoke to anyone—mainly for the fact that John thought everyone in the building was beneath him. His main focus had been getting to his graduation in June that he never actually stopped to make friends or actually enjoy this time of his life. All he wanted to get out of this school and go off to university and be with people who actually gave a frick on what was happening in the world.

But that note…Well, it changed John a little. Someone noticed him. Someone thought he was cute. Just like the second note, the first one wasn’t exactly Donne, (“ _Rose are red, violets are blue, I think you have a great smile and a good bum too_ ”) but it did make him smile. In fact, he had it hanging on his corkboard at home. And last night he stared at it, trying to figure out who in the world gave it to him. The only person whom it would make sense would be Donna, and wasn’t that just psyching him up for therapy? But Donna seemed stunned when he showed it to her, so he didn’t think it was her. But who in the world would send it to him? There was literally no one he could think of who gave him a passing thought. And he didn’t even have an idea of who he would _want_ it to be. He was truly stumped. 

“What do I do?” John asked, taking the note back from Donna and folded it nicely before putting it back in his pocket. “How do I go about finding out who wrote it?” 

“Well, I would send it to the lab and have it fingerprinted,” Donna said seriously before rolling her eyes. “I don’t bloody have a clue! It’s a _secret admirer_! You’re not _supposed_ to know!” 

“But Donna, I…” He looked around, but of course no one was looking in their direction. No one ever did. Donna and John were loners, and they kind of preferred it that way. At least, John did up until yesterday. “There is no one I can think of. You?” 

“You think it’s _me_?!” she screeched.

“Oh, bloody hell, _no_! I meant, do you _know_? Who it is?”

“No, of course I don’t. If I had a clue, I would have told you. No one comes to mind.” She nodded towards his food. “Eat that disgusting plate of food before you get light headed and faint. The last thing your admirer needs to see is you passed out on the floor.”

John ate his food, pondering more on the notes than anything else. He wished he had an idea of who it could be? Was it that Amelia Pond who cheats off of him during math tests? Or was it that River from literature who was continually giving spoilers because she read ahead? A part of him hoped it wasn’t Jack Harkness, the boy who loves everyone and everything. Though he and John rarely spoke, Jack had a soft spot for Donna and will continually come towards them when they are hanging out in front of John’s locker to talk to her.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, John grabbed all of his stuff before heading off towards the science lab. Donna muttered a “See ya later,” before walking towards her gym class.

John plopped his bag next to his seat, before sitting down with a thud. He knew he was barely going to be paying attention in class, but it was bugging him on who sent him that note. It just…came out of nowhere.

The room was filling up, but John barely noticed. He had even focus to get out his books and a pen and place them on the lab table. The teacher came in (Mr. Rassilon, a tough bastard whom John hated) and announced that they would be working in pairs and to turn to the person next to them before they were going to be their lab partner for the rest of the semester.

When John turned all he saw was blonde hair and a huge smile.

“Hi,” she said, and John—for the first time he could ever remember—had to tell himself to breath. “I’m Rose Tyler. And you are?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To celebrate the end of a long week, here's another chapter! Enjoy!

Rose’s heart was beating wildly in her chest. What were the odds that she would actually have John as her science partner? Really, of all the people in the entire building, she had to be partnered up with the horrible John Noble?

(Okay, so he wasn’t _that_ horrible, but old habits die hard and all of that.)

And now that she has sent him two secret admirer notes when she doesn’t even _like_ him…Rose was positive that universe was having one big laugh at her right now. This was just a cruel twist of fate. 

She asked him who he was, simply to keep up with appearances. They have never been formally introduced, though Rose has been on the receiving end of his many grunts (which is way of saying “Excuse me” in the hallway). But she wasn’t sure if he knew her, so she introduced herself. After all, it’s nice to be nice. Or at least, that’s what her mum says.

“John Noble,” he said, giving her a small nod. He cleared his throat before looking down at his book. “So, er, how much of synthesis reactions do you know?”

Rose had no idea what he was talking about. “Not much,” she admitted. She looked down and noticed a piece of paper sticking out of his pocket. Was that her note? Did he actually carry around with him? Rose’s heart sank when she remembered that him getting the note was simply a mistake. And now he was carrying around with him? Oh, how guilty Rose felt. She had to tell him. Should she? Should she just come clean and tell him that she was the writer behind the notes, but that it was all simply a misunderstanding and that it was actually intended for Jack Harkness?

She couldn’t, though. Because he would probably be humiliated. These notes must mean something to him, since it’s folded up neatly in his pocket and not shoved into his school bag, or worse in the garbage. But how can she tell him that it was all a mistake? That she put the note in the wrong locker. Her face burned just thinking about it.

“You okay?” he asked. Rose looked up at him and realized he had been speaking that whole time and she didn’t hear a word. “Your face is flushed.”

“Is it? I must be hot,” she said, lightly touching her cheek.

John bit his lip, but said nothing. He cleared his throat before continuing on synthesis reactions.

Rose nodded but excused herself, claiming that she had to go to the bathroom. Once she was safely inside of the stall, she shot a text to Martha.

**Martha, need help. What should I do about John?**

A message came back quickly.

**_Who?_ **

**JOHN! THE PERSON I SENT THE LOVE LETTER TO BY MISTAKE!!!**

**_Oh. Right. Why? What’s going on?_ **

**He’s my lab partner now.**

**_So?_ **

**So?! This could get AWKWARD!**

**_Why? Does he think it’s you?_ **

**Well no. But still. He’s the most hated man in school and now he’s getting secret admirer letters? Don’t you think that he would come to the conclusion that that’s a bit weird?**

**_Rose, leave it alone. He has no idea who wrote him those notes, so he can’t trace them back to you. Stay calm, take a deep breath, and pass Chemistry. This situation with John will blow over. It’s not like you’re gonna send him another note, right._ **

**No. Of course not. Two is enough.**

**_Exactly. He’ll never know it was from you._ **

Rose took a deep breath. Martha was right; there was no way John could figure out they came from her.

Squaring her shoulders, Rose marched back to the science lab, ready for John to be her partner. Like Martha said, there is no way this could get awkward. After all, it’s not like she was going to write him _another_ note, right?

Except she did.  


End file.
